Adjustable crutch.



UNITED STATES ARTHUR BELL, OF NYACK, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH.

Application filed February 14, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nyack, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in crutches; and as its primary object contemplates the provision of a crutch which may be adjusted lengthwise to adapt the same for use by persons of different heights and is constructed with such care and attention as regards the number, proportion and arrangement of parts as to enable the same to be easily and cheaply manufactured and placed on the market at a reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings wherein I have illustrated the invention in its preferred embodiment and in which drawings Figure 1 is 'a side elevation partly broken away of my improved crutch, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

From the drawings it will be seen that the improved crutch includes a pair of complementary sections slidably secured together. The lower section comprises the legs 4 which are substantially parallel for a portion of their length and then have their lower ends gradually converging toward one another, the extremities of said lower ends finally contacting with one another and being received in a socket 5. These legs 4 are connected in spaced relation by means of a short transverse connecting bar 6 which is positioned a substantial distance below the upper end of the legs and at a point just above the inwardly converging portions thereof.

The upper section comprises a shoulder rest 7 which is constructed in the usual manner and is adapted to have its opposite ends resting upon the upper ends of the legs 4 when the sections are arranged as in Fig. 1. Depending from this shoulder rest and disposed inwardly of its end are a pair of parallel legs 8 which as shown are received Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Serial No. 217,144.

between the legs 1 and have their lower ends supported upon the transverse bar 6. When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 it will be evident that the crutch is exceedingly strong and compact owing to the manner of connecting the sections together. The ends of the shoulder rest 7 are firmly supported upon the upper ends of the legs 4 while the legs 8 depending from the shoulder rest engage the legs 4: to prevent lateral movement and have their lower ends supported by the bars 6. Adjacent their lower ends the legs 8 are connected by a short transverse bar 9 which is adapted to provide a hand grip for the user.

These legs 4 and 8 are provided with vertically spaced openings extending horizontally therethrough and adapted to be alined at times to receive suitable fastening bolts 10 which connect the two sections together and are retained in said openings by means of thumb nuts 11. In Fig. 1 the crutch is shown in a non-adjusted position by the full lines and in this position the fastening bolts 10 are passed through the openings in the upper and lower ends of the legs 8 and through corresponding openings in the legs 4. However, when adjusting the sections as shown by dotted lines it is evident that these fastening bolts may be passed through any of the intermediate openings formed in said legs to retain the sections in their proper adjusted position.

It is to be also understood that I have shown my invention merely in its preferred embodiment and I therefore reserve the right to change the construction and arrangement of the parts as I see fit providing that any such changes contemplated come within the scope of the appended claim and do not depart from the spirit of the invention.

I claim A crutch including upper and lower sections slidably connected together, said lower sections comprising a pair of legs extending in parallelism for a portion of their lengths, and having their lower ends directed inwardly and secured together, said upper section comprising a shoulder rest having the end portions thereof enga cable at times with the upper ends of sai legs, a second short pair of legs depending from said and a hand grip connecting and bracing the shoulder rest and disposed between the lower end of said short leg. 10

parallel portions of said first mentioned legs In testimony whereof I aflix my signature portions, a transverse brace connecting said and corresponding in length to said parallel in presence of two witnesses, I

' ARTHUR 'BELL. V

first mentioned legs'above the inwardly di- Witnesses: rected lower ends thereof and serving as a ANNIE BELL, support for the lower endsof said short legs JOHN F. MGFARLANE. t

copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0." 

